A Genius Trick for Readers
how I keep track of the books I want to read; plus delicious pickles, tradwives, and giggling babies
Ah, the quiet joy of being immersed in a good book: I take great pleasure in wondering what the characters will do next as I go through my day, knowing they’re waiting for me when I climb into bed. For example, this week, my thoughts are consumed with questions about Julia, the protagonist in Same As It Ever Was: Why did her mother treat her so unkindly? Why is she so self-destructive? Will her marriage survive?
But as I near the end of an engrossing novel a sense of dread will creep in if I don't have another great book on deck to read next.
It’s not that I lack recommendations: I subscribe to numerous newsletters, magazines, and newspapers that give me excellent book ideas, I have friends with great taste, and I regularly browse bookstore shelves, too.
The problem is how to keep track of everything I want to read! I’ve tried keeping a handwritten list beside my bed, a list in the Notes app on my phone, an Excel spreadsheet, and more.
But for some reason, nothing has worked…until now.
My new method for keeping track of the books I want to read is super easy—and it might work for you, too!
There are just two simple steps:
1. Take a screenshot or photo of the book cover; and
2. Save it to an album on your phone titled Books to Read.
That’s it!
Because I mostly find my book recommendations online it’s easy to snap a screenshot of an intriguing title. And when I see a book in real life, I simply take a photo of the cover and save it to my album. Something about the visual nature of this new method makes it more effective: my “Books to Read” album is like a tiny, satisfyingly tidy, colorful online bookshelf.
Now, when I near the end of an excellent book, I no longer get anxious about what I’ll read next, safe in the knowledge that my “Books to Read” list is up-to-date and easy to find!
I’d love to know: how do you keep track of the books you want to read next – and what are you reading right now? Is anyone else reading Same As It Ever Was? I have so many thoughts about this book!
📖 Margo’s Got Money Troubles: an inventive, rollicking, and often laugh-out-loud tale about Margo, a college student whose life is upended by an unexpected pregnancy and the urgent need to support herself and her baby. What makes this novel so charming are the indelible characters that people it: complicated, confused, creative, and well-meaning Margo; her intense, all-black clad, former pro-wrestler father, who goes by Jinx; Margo’s mother, Shyanne, an appearance-obsessed former Hooters waitress turned Bloomingdale’s salesperson; Mark, the infuriatingly emotionally immature married father of her child; and the weird and wonderful friends, colleagues, and clients Margo encounters as she experiments with internet fame and notoriety. I did not want this book to end and am thrilled that it’s already been optioned as a TV series starring Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning.
🎞️ Twisters: Well worth going to the cinema to see, this type of real-life scary is my definition of a fun summer movie - and a welcome change from all the superhero/alien/special effects blockbusters of recent years. Daisy Edgar-Jones is adorable as a traumatized, well-meaning scientist, and Glenn Powell is perfect as her hot tornado-cowboy love interest/antagonist.
📖 Love Letters to a Serial Killer: I found myself completely immersed in this novel about Hannah, an unhappy 30-something who becomes obsessed with a perfect-on-paper young man accused of serial murders. After becoming fascinated with the sordid details of the case, Hannah writes William, the accused, a letter. Soon, she’s in an intense epistolary relationship with him and is charmed and attracted to his intelligence and candor. As her devotion deepens, Hannah discards her job, friends, and home to attend William’s trial and insinuate herself into his life and family. Is Hannah’s obsession driven by her desire to know the truth about William or an impulse to self-destruct?
📨 What To Read If: this free weekly email is my favorite source for excellent book recommendations. The clever thing about this newsletter is that
ties her recs to current events, like her latest, inspired by a viral moment at the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Unlike book reviews in newspapers and magazines, What To Read If features a wide variety of books in every genre, from new releases to classics, nonfiction to cozy mystery novels…
📆 August 2024 Recs // 📖 Books // 📺 TV Shows // 🍿 Movies
In Case You Missed It: The latest viral story about Ballerina Farm and tradwife culture plus Ballerina Farm’s response // Yogurt: health food, dessert, or both? // Not sure why, but Instagram is serving me a lot of pickle content lately - and I must admit - these both look delicious! // Now trending: Sober Bars // Fun fact: Poetry used to be an Olympic sport! // Busted! “But, like, you can’t even hear the waves...” // I would totally buy this if it were for sale // Why stores are already filling up with Halloween merch // 🤣Zillow Problems, Zillow Solutions “I want a bedroom that is guaranteed to break my toes in the dark but that also reminds me of my own mortality but in like a classy way.” // Lululemon learns that no one wants “long butt” // 👶 Adorably addictive giggles!
That’s it for me! Thank you for reading and see you next Friday! xo Amelia
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I use Goodreads and I think it works well for me because it's linked up to my Kindle, so once I finish my library book, it'll pop up with the option to rate the book in Goodreads, which automatically moves it from "Currently Reading" to "Read." However, your method is so simple and I love the visual element of it! I have had Margo on my list for a bit now and everyone really seems to rave about it!
I’m really glad you wrote about this, because it’s at once dead-simple, totally intuitive…and also something I’d never thought to do before! 😅
I’ve halfheartedly used the Goodreads app, but it’s *just* complicated enough that I don’t stick to it consistently. Adopting your trick now!